Authorities plan reverse of P-plater turbo law

Legislation stopping P-platers from using turbocharged cars may hit the skids, with manufacturers calling for a rethink, writes RICHARD BLACKBURN.

14 September 2010Richard Blackburn

Downsizing...smaller turbocharged engines are now being designed for fuel efficiency.

Road safety authorities are poised to backflip on the ban on P-platers driving turbocharged and supercharged vehicles.

The Victorian Government is believed to be driving the change in policy after car industry lobbyists pointed out several anomalies in the laws. Sources say NSW and Queensland authorities will follow suit and adopt the scheme, although the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority denies that is the case.

The industry is opposed to the present ban because it has meant P-platers are precluded from driving some of the safest and most fuel-efficient cars on the road.

It is believed the Victorian Minister for Roads and Ports, Tim Pallas, has written to some car-makers, telling them the Government is looking to revert to a power-to-weight formula that applied before 2007.

Under that scheme, P-platers will be able to apply for an exemption to drive turbocharged or supercharged cars with a power-to-weight ratio of less than 100kilowatts a tonne. They can also apply for approval to drive cars with a power-to-weight ratio of between 100kW and 125kW, provided the vehicle is deemed a family car and not a sports model.

Car-makers are increasingly turning to turbocharging to improve the fuel-efficiency of their vehicles and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

With less fuel, and therefore lower emissions, smaller displacement turbocharged engines can deliver the same power as larger conventional, naturally aspirated engines.

Ford is considering replacing its crop of six-cylinder engines - including the engine in the Falcon - with a range of smaller capacity, turbocharged four-cylinder engines that will deliver similar power but use less fuel.

Some European makers are already selling small-capacity turbocharged engines with modest power outputs and impressive fuel-consumption figures.

They argue that the current ban has limited P-platers' access to sophisticated, potentially life-saving technology.

Victoria used to have a power-to-weight ratio for deciding which vehicles made its banned list but introduced a general ban on turbocharged vehicles in mid-2007.

A spokesman for Mr Pallas said Victoria was considering reverting to a similar system based on power-to-weight ratios.

The penalties for P-platers caught driving high-powered vehicles are severe. In Victoria, they face an $1100 fine and three demerit points, while in NSW it is a $405 fine and seven demerit points.

In NSW, some manufacturers have recently successfully applied to the RTA for an exemption on the grounds that their vehicles use turbocharging to deliver fuel-efficiency gains rather than power increases.

The RTA has given an exemption to several turbocharged vehicles in the Volkswagen range in the past week, while modestly-powered turbocharged vehicles from Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Saab and Volvo have also sought and been granted exemptions recently.

An RTA spokeswoman said the authority liaised closely with the industry when determining which turbocharged vehicles fitted the "high-powered vehicle" criteria. "When new models enter the market, these are evaluated in consultation with the automotive industry," she said.

But even if the car is ruled exempt from the ban, the vehicle owner still has to seek an individual exemption before a P-plater can legally drive the car.

And a slightly more powerful 147kW version of the 2.0-litre turbo engine, used in VW's Tiguan off-roader, remains banned despite the fact rival RAV4 V6 has almost 40per cent more power (201kW) and is exempt from the ban.

The chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, Andrew McKellar, said the turbocharger ban was outdated and in need of an overhaul.

"In many instances, car-makers are adopting turbocharging as a fuel-economy measure rather than for power or performance. The current restrictions are inflexible. The law is a fairly blunt instrument which has, in many instances, led to unintended consequences."

The P-plater ban had been introduced to stop the influx of high-powered second-hand sports cars from Japan, the so-called "grey imports".

But McKellar believes the wrong cars have been caught in the regulatory net.

"There are many vehicles with outstanding safety characteristics which are being penalised by these regulations. There's no real justification for it; we need young drivers to have access to the best safety technology," he said.

Mercedes-Benz spokesman David McCarthy said the governmental change of heart was a welcome development.

Under the present regime, some of the company's modestly powered supercharged C-Class and E-Class models are banned in Victoria, while its more powerful V6 models are exempt.

"This is a really positive step and the minister is to be congratulated," he said.

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